Boat-handling gear



Jan. 25, 1944'. s. E. AARON BOAT-HANDLING GEAR Filed Sept. 10, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ii Zlrwcwvile L (51E: fiarazz Jan. 25, 1944. s. E. AARON 2,339,755

BOAT-HANDLING GEAR Filed Sept. 10, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 25,1944

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOAT-HANDLING GEAR Solomon E. Aaron, Charlestown, Mass.

Application September 10, 1942, Serial No. 457,867

4 Claims.

This invention relates to boat-handling gear, and-more particularly to such gear for handling small boats from the deck of a larger vessel, and is an improvement over the device shown in my Patent No. 1,575,808.

InPatent No, 1,575,808 the cables upon the divided hoisting drum pass through davit blocks and are secured to opposite ends of a small boat. Brakes located at either end of the hoisting drum are controlled by separate ropes which are led into the small boat, so that the lowering may be controlled by occupants of the boat which is being lowered. In practice, the brake ropes are snubbed about cleats and permitted to slide through the pulleys at the will of the operators. This has not proved entirely satisfactory, as in the excitement of an emergency launching, those responsible for the handling of the brake ropes may release their hold on the rope and the boat drop too rapidly, striking the water with crushing force. Although one of the operators may remain sufficiently calm to continue his duty, the control of one rope operates only one brake, and the entire load of the descending boat drags upon a single brake. Even though both operators remain at their posts and continue to handle the ropes the confusion and impulsive haste attending a disaster will inevitably result in lack of co-ordinated operation of the brakes, causing delay, and frequently serious accident.

The object of the present invention is to provide a boat-handling gear in which means are provided for manipulating both brakes in unison, from either end of the small boat being launched, or from the deck of the larger vessel.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to interconnect the brakes so that the brake action will be equalized for maximum efiiciency and safety and to prevent undue wear on the hands.

A further object is to provide means in the brake control mechanism for automatically retaining a light application of the brakes even though none of the normal brake controls are being operated.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following detailed description of a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention proceeds.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification in which like characters of reference are used to identify like parts throughout:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a boat deck,

slot 23 in the bar 2 I.

with the boat-handling gear in place, and-a small boat being launched over the side;

Figure 2 is a front view of the hoisting inachinery, the cable drum brakes and control mechanism;

Figure 3 i a vertical section on the line -3 3 of .Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section on line-44 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure-1 shows a general View of the deck of a vessel having mounted thereon davits i, and a power-driven winch 2. The usual block and falls 3 are suspended from the davits, and thefalls ropes are woven through deck blocks and wound upon the divided hoisting drum 5 of the Winch.

The hoisting drum is mounted upona shaft 6, and driven through the intermediary of a clutch T from any suitable source of power, not shown. Secured to the ends of the hoisting drum, to rotate therewith, are brake drums 8 and 9, about which are looped brake bands iii and i l. Anchoring pins i2 and I3 fixedly hold one end of the respective brake bands Ill and H, and the pins also serve as fulcrums for brake-actuating levers l4 and it. The opposite ends of the brake bands are connected to the short arms of levers i4 and I5, so that movement of the lever will tighten or loosen the bands about the drums.

So much of the apparatus is shown and described in detail in Patent No. 1,575,808. 7

In order to secure unitary and equalized application of the brake, means are provided to simultaneously move the brake-actuating levers it and I5 with a floating equalizer proportionately distributing the applied force to the respective brakes. This structure comprises an overloalanced lever I6, pivoted'to the winch frame at ii, and having a weight l8 adiustably positioned on its long arm 19. The short arm 20 of the lever it is connected to a floating equalizer bar 2!, by means of a pin 22 passing through a Opposite ends of bar 21 are connected to the respective brake actuating levers I l and i5 by links 24 and 25, which are variable in length to provide adjustment for the brakes.

A line or cable is coupled to the overbalanced lever I6, between its fulcrum and its connection to the equalizer bar, and the line threaded through blocks 26 and 21. The line is then divided into two branches, 28 and 29, and the branch lines run through direction-changing blocks 39 and 3|, and to the davits; from which they pass downward into the bowand stern of the small boat hanging from the davits.

In launching a small boat, the davits are swung outward, carrying the boat outboard of the larger vessel. During the time that the boat is being swung outboard, the brake control lines 28 and 29 are made fast to cleats at the bow and stern, and the weight of the boat applies the brakes to prevent premature lowering. The control lines are partially unfastened from the cleats, leaving a bight of the line snubbed about the cleat, and by easing off on the lines the brakes are released sufficiently to permit the boat to be lowered.

It is obvious that a pull upon either of the control lines rocks the overbalanced lever I6, drawing up the equalizer bar 2|. The free floating mounting of the equalizer bar permits the lifting force of the lever I6 to be equally applied to the brakes, regardless of the fact that they may not be in perfect adjustment and one brake-actuating lever I4 or I 5 may have to move farther than the other to draw its brake band tightly around the drum. The equalizer will tilt to permit this.

By this arrangement both brakes may be controlled from either end of the boat, and although two operators may be assigned to duty in handling the ropes, either one can safely lower the boat to the water.

The weight l8 on the lever It may be moved along the arm of the lever to so adjust its effective weight that it will force the long arm of the lever downward, raising the equalizer bar, and

normally maintaining the brakes in applied position. It has been found preferable to so adjust the weight that the braking action will be insufiicient to hold the weight of the boat and completely arrest its downward movement, but, at the same time, enough to retard the descent of the boat, and thereby reduce the force with which the boat will strike the water in the event that the control ropes are not operated.

The weighted end of the lever may also be used as a control lever, and by its manipulation a crew member on the deck of the larger vessel may operate the brakes to properly lower a boat to the water.

The brakes may, therefore, be applied from three separate points, any one of Which gives full control of both brakes, with the braking action equally distributed between the two brakes. To this is added the safety factor of an automatically applied brake drag to prevent too rapid descent of the boat even though the various controls are not manned.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the precise construction shown may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: v

1. In boat-handling gear of that type having davits, blocks and falls suspended from said davits and connected to opposite ends of a small boat, a cable drum mounted in a frame and engageable with a source of power to raise said falls and releasable therefrom to permit free rotation of the drum to lower said falls, and brakes to control the free rotation of said cable drum, in combination with an equalizer interconnecting said brakes, a lever fulcrumed on the frame and having one arm pivotally connected. to the equalizer and an outer weighted free end, and means connected to said lever and operable from either end of said small boat for moving said lever to control the operation of both brakes.

2. In boat-handling gear of that type having davits, blocks and falls suspended from said davits and connected to opposite ends of a small boat, a cable drum mounted in a frame and engageable with a source of power to raise said falls and releasable therefrom to permit free rotation of the drum to lower said falls, and brakes to control the free rotation of said cable drum, in combination with an equalizer interconnecting said brakes, a lever fulcrumed on the frame and having a short arm and a long arm, said short arm being pivotally connected to said equalizer, and means connected to the short arm of said lever between said fulcrum and the pivotal connection with said equalizer and operable from said small boat to control the operation of said brakes.

3. In boat-handling gear of that type having davits, blocks and falls suspended from said davits and connected to opposite ends of a small boat, a cable drum mounted in a frame and engageable with a source of power to raise said falls and releasable therefrom to permit free rotation of the drum to lower said falls, and brakes to control the free rotation of said cable drum, in combination with an equalizer interconnecting said brakes, a lever fulcrumed on the frame and having a short arm and a long arm, said short arm being pivotally connected to said equalizer, means connected to the short arm of said lever between said fulcrum and the pivotal connection with said equalizer and operable from said small boat to control the operation of said brakes, and a weight adjustable along the long arm of said lever to normally apply light pressure to the brakes.

4. In boat-handling gear of that type having davits, blocks and falls suspended from said davits and connected to opposite ends of a small boat, a cable drum mounted in a frame and engageable with a source of power to raise said falls and releasable therefrom to permit free rotation of the drum to lower said falls, and brakes to control the free rotation of said cable drum, in combination with a link connected at either end to one of the brakes, alever fulcrurned on the frame and having a short arm and a long arm, said short arm being pivotally connected to said link midway between the ends of the link, means connected to the short arm of said lever between said fulcrum and the pivotal connection with said link and operable from said small boat to control the operation of said brakes, and a Weight adjustable along the long arm of said lever to normally apply light pressure to the brakes.

SOLOMON E. AARON. 

